Nail magazine for a power nail-driving tool

ABSTRACT

A nail magazine includes an elongated magazine unit which defines two elongated parallel channels, a first transverse channel intercommunicating the parallel channels so as to cooperatively form a U-shaped nail loading slot, and a second transverse channel extending from one of the parallel channels so as to cooperatively form an L-shaped nail loading slot therewith. A guide member is disposed on a front discharging end of the magazine unit, and cooperates with the front discharging end to define a stroke path of a driving member of a nail-driving tool. The guide member defines a guiding slot to guide a U-shaped nail to move along the stroke path. A guide bar is mounted in the guiding slot, and has a guiding portion configured to be raised to guide movement of an L-shaped nail, and can be depressed by the driving member to retreat into a retreat bore.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Chinese patent Application No. 200620111364.8, filed on Sep. 19, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a nail magazine for a power nail-driving tool, more particularly to a nail magazine adapted to accommodate U-shaped and L-shaped nails.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional nail magazines for use in nailing guns are generally configured to accommodate a specific type of nails, such as U-shaped nails, T-shaped nails and L-shaped nails. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional nail magazine 5 for accommodating L-shaped nails 200 is shown to be formed with an L-shaped nail loading slot 51 for receiving a strip of L-shaped nails 200 to be driven. Referring to FIG. 2, another conventional nail magazine 6 adapted for accommodating U-shaped nails 100 is shown to include a central wall 61 and two side walls 62 spaced apart from and disposed at two opposite sides of the central wall 61. A strip of U-shaped nails 100 can be loaded from an upper portion of the central wall 61, with the heads of the nails 100 placed on the upper portion of the central wall 61 and with the legs of the nails 100 disposed in channels formed between the central wall 61 and the side walls 62. Referring to FIG. 3, when L-shaped nails and U-shaped nails have to be used alternately, the L-shaped nails are sometimes loaded in a magazine for U-shaped nails in order to save time. However, the following drawbacks may arise:

1. Since the thickness (a) of an L-shaped nail 200 is generally larger than the thickness (b) of a U-shaped nail 100, a preset spacing above the upper portion of the central wall 61 which is suitable for the L-shaped nail 200 may be too large for the U-shaped nail 100. Thus, during a driving operation of a driving head 7 of the nailing gun, the U-shaped nails 100 may wobble and slant to one side, thereby resulting in a nail jam.

2. The striking slot in the nailing gun is preset to have a width (c) such that the U-shaped nails 100 can be guided by the striking slot. However, the width (c) of the striking slot is too large for the L-shaped nails 200 to be guided properly, and the L-shaped nails 200 may slant and deform when struck.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional nail magazine 8 for accommodating both T-shaped nails 300 and U-shaped nails 100. As shown, the nail magazine has a plurality of positioning notches 82 formed in two side channels 80 of a U-shaped nail loading slot 81 such that the T-shaped nails 300 can be accommodated in one of the side channels 80. A striking slot 83 is preset to have a width (d) to match the width of a head of the T-shaped nail 300. However, the width (d) is too large for the U-shaped nails 100 to be guided properly and the U-shaped nails 100 may slant and deform when struck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a nail magazine which is adapted to accommodate U-shaped and L-shaped nails and which permits the U-shaped and L-shaped nails to be driven smoothly to prevent slanting and deformation of the struck nail.

According to this invention, the nail magazine includes an elongated magazine unit which has a front discharging end adapted to confront a stroke path of a reciprocating driving member of a power nail-driving tool, and which is elongated from the front discharging end to terminate at a rear end. The magazine unit defines first and second parallel channels, a first transverse channel which extends to intercommunicate the first and second parallel channels and which cooperates with the first and second parallel channels to form a U-shaped nail loading slot that is adapted to receive a strip of U-shaped nails and that extends through the front discharging end such that a first U-shaped nail is extendable beyond the front discharging end and into the stroke path, and a second transverse channel which extends from the second parallel channel towards the first parallel channel and which cooperates with the second parallel channel to form an L-shaped nail loading slot that is adapted to receive a strip of L-shaped nails and that extends through the front discharging end such that the first L-shaped nail is extendable beyond the front discharging end and into the stroke path.

A guide member confronts the front discharging end of the elongated magazine unit, and cooperates with the front discharging end to define the stroke path of the driving member. The guide member has two guiding walls which define therebetween a guiding slot that is adapted to guide the driving member to move along the stroke path. The guiding slot is dimensioned such that the first U-shaped nail is guided between the guiding walls so as to move along the stroke path. The guiding slot extends to terminate at a sliding surface which defines a retreat bore.

A guide bar has a secured end which is mounted in the retreat bore, and a guiding portion which is disposed to cooperate with one of the guiding walls to guide the movement of the first L-shaped nail. The guiding portion is configured to be raised above the sliding surface, and can be depressed to a retreating position, where the guiding portion is retreated in the retreat bore by a sweeping force imparted by a striking movement of the driving member along the stroke path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional nail magazine for accommodating L-shaped nails;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of another conventional nail magazine for accommodating U-shaped nails;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the conventional nail magazine of FIG. 2 when used for accommodating L-shaped nails;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of still another conventional nail magazine for accommodating both U-shaped and T-shaped nails;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a nail magazine according to this invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment taken from another angle;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, showing the preferred embodiment in a state when U-shaped nails are loaded;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, showing the preferred embodiment in a state when L-shaped nails are loaded;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of the preferred embodiment when a first U-shaped nail is driven; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment when a first L-shaped nail is driven.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the preferred embodiment of a nail magazine 1 according to the present invention is adapted to be mounted on a power nail-driving tool (not shown) for selectively holding a strip of U-shaped nails 100 and a strip of L-shaped nails 200 that are disposed to be driven along a stroke path of a reciprocating driving member 4 of the power nail-driving tool. The nail magazine 1 is shown to comprise an elongated magazine unit 2, a nail pushing mechanism 23, a locking mechanism 24, a guide member 3, and a guide bar 33.

The magazine unit 2 includes a magazine body 21 adapted to be secured to the power nail-driving tool through a plate wall 31, and a sliding shell 22 slidable relative to the magazine body 21 in a lengthwise direction that is transverse to the stroke path of the driving member 4 (as shown in FIG. 8). The magazine body 21 has a front discharging end 201 confronting the stroke path of the driving member 4, and is elongated from the front discharging end in the lengthwise direction to terminate at a rear end 202.

The magazine body 21 has first and second parallel walls 212,213 which are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction that is transverse to both the stroke path and the lengthwise direction and which define a first parallel channel 216 therebetween. The sliding shell 22 has a lateral wall 222 which is spaced apart from the first parallel wall 212 to define a second parallel channel 225 therebetween (as shown in FIG. 7), and a top wall 221 which is spaced apart from the first parallel wall 212 to define a first transverse channel 226 therebetween.

The first and second parallel channels 216,225 are elongated in the lengthwise direction through the front discharging end 201, and extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the stroke path of the driving member 4 to terminate at two channel ends. The first transverse channel 226 is elongated in the lengthwise direction through the front discharging end 201, and extends in the transverse direction to intercommunicate the channel ends of the first and second parallel channels 216, 225 so as to cooperate with the first and second parallel channels 216,225 to form a U-shaped nail loading slot that extends through the front discharging end 201. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, a strip of U-shaped nails 100 can be disposed in the U-shaped nail loading slot from an upper portion of the first parallel wall 212 such that the first U-shaped nail 100 is extendable beyond the front discharging end 201 and into the stroke path.

The first parallel wall 212 has a second transverse channel 217 which is elongated in the lengthwise direction through the front discharging end 201, and which extends from the second parallel channel 225 towards the first parallel channel 216 in the transverse direction so as to cooperate with the second parallel channel 225 to form an L-shaped nail loading slot that extends through the front discharging end 201. Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, a strip of L-shaped nails 200 can be disposed in the L-shaped nail loading slot laterally such that the first L-shaped nail 200 is extendable beyond the front discharging end 201 and into the stroke path.

Further, the magazine body 21 has a keyway 215 and a rail 214 which are disposed on the second and first parallel walls 213, 212, respectively. The sliding shell 22 has an elongated key 224 and an elongated slider 223 which are disposed on the top wall 221 and the lateral wall 222, respectively, to slide along the keyway 215 and the rail 214, respectively, so as to enable the sliding shell 22 to slide relative to the magazine body 21.

A plurality of magnets 218 are further disposed on the first parallel wall 212, and confront the lateral wall 222 to help hold the L-shaped nails 200 in the second parallel channel 225, as shown in FIG. 9.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the nail pushing mechanism 23 includes a biasing unit including two compression springs 231 that are received in the sliding shell 22, and a U-shaped pusher plate 232 that is disposed on and movable relative to the sliding shell 22 and that is biased by the compression springs 231 such that the pusher plate 232 extends forwardly of the sliding shell 22 into the second parallel channel 225 to urge the first nail (U-shaped nail 100 or L-shaped nail 200) into the stroke path when the sliding shell 22 approaches the front discharging end 201.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the locking mechanism 24 includes a retained member 241 which is secured to the magazine body 21 adjacent to the rear end 202, an engaging member 242 which has a fulcrum pivoted to the sliding shell 22, and pressed and engaging ends 246,245 opposite to each other, a biasing member 247 which is disposed to bias the pressed end 246 to an engaging position, where the engaging end 245 engages the retained member 241, and a push button 243 which is operable manually to press the pressed end 246 against a biasing action of the biasing member 247 so as to enable the engaging end 245 to disengage from the retained member 241. Thus, the engaging member 242 is releasably engaged with the retained member 241 when the sliding shell 22 approaches the front discharging end 201, thereby retaining the sliding shell 22 relative to the magazine body 21.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 10 and 11, the guide member 3 confronts the front discharging end 201 of the magazine body 21 and cooperates therewith to define the stroke path of the driving member 4. The guide member 3 has two guiding walls 32 which extend in the longitudinal direction, and which define therebetween a guiding slot 321 that is adapted to guide the driving member 4 to move along the stroke path. The guiding slot 321 is dimensioned such that the first U-shaped nail 100 is guided between the guiding walls 32 so as to move smoothly along the stroke path. In addition, the guiding slot 321 extends in the lengthwise direction to terminate at a sliding surface 323. The sliding surface 323 defines an elongated retreat bore 322 which extends in the longitudinal direction.

The guide bar 33 has a secured end 330 which is mounted in the retreat bore 322, and a guiding portion 332 which extends from the secured end 330 in the longitudinal direction and which is disposed to cooperate with one of the guiding wall 32 to guide the movement of the first L-shaped nail 200, as shown in FIG. 12. The guide bar 33 is configured such that the guiding portion 332 is urged toward a guiding position, as shown in FIG. 12, where the guiding portion 332 is raised above the sliding surface 323, thereby guiding the L-shaped nail 200 to move smoothly along the stroke path. Moreover, the guide bar 33 is configured such that, by virtue of a sweeping force imparted by a striking movement of the driving member 4 along the stroke path, the guiding portion 332 is depressed to a retreating position, as shown in FIG. 11, where the guiding portion 332 is retreated into the retreat bore 322. Thus, the guide bar 33 can be prevented from interfering with the displacement of the U-shaped nails 100 in the stroke path.

Furthermore, the guiding bar 33 has a ramp segment 331 which has an initial region that is disposed proximate to the secured end 330 and below the sliding surface 323 to accommodate the head of the first U-shaped nail 100 so as not to interfere with the displacement of the first U-shaped nail in the stroke path, as shown in FIG. 10.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9, in use, the sliding shell 22 is moved rearwardly to expose the first parallel wall 212 so that a strip of U-shaped nails 100 and a strip of L-shaped nails 200 are loaded in the magazine body 21. Subsequently, the sliding shell 22 is pressed forwardly to approach the front discharging end 201 such that the engaging member 242 engages the retained member 241. In this state, the pusher plate 232 urges the loaded nails 100,200 forwardly to cause the first nail 100,200 to enter the guiding slot 321.

Referring to FIGS. 8, 10 and 11, when the first U-shaped nail 100 is pushed into the guiding slot 321 in a nailing operation, since the head of the nail 100 is placed at the initial region of the ramp segment 331, and since the guide bar 33 is retreated into the retreat bore 322 when the driving member 4 strikes the nail 100, the nail 100 can be discharged smoothly.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 12, when the first L-shaped nail 200 is pushed into the guiding slot 321 in a nailing operation, the nail 200 is guided between the guiding wall 32 and the guide bar 33 so as to be discharged smoothly, thereby preventing the nail 200 from slanting and deforming. Moreover, since the guiding portion 332 of the guide bar 33 is retreated into the retreat bore 322 when the driving member 4 is moved downwardly, and is raised above the sliding surface 323 when the driving member 4 is moved back to its original position, the arrangement of the guide bar 33 will not interfere with the displacement of nails 100,200.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A nail magazine for a power nail-driving tool which has a reciprocating driving member defining a stroke path, said nail magazine being adapted for accommodating a strip of U-shaped nails and a strip of L-shaped nails, and comprising: an elongated magazine unit which has a front discharging end adapted to confront the stroke path of the driving member, and which is elongated from said front discharging end in a lengthwise direction that is transverse to the stroke path of the driving member to terminate at a rear end, said magazine unit defining first and second parallel channels which are elongated in the lengthwise direction through said front discharging end, which are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction that is transverse to both the stroke path and the lengthwise direction, and which extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to the stroke path to terminate at two channel ends, a first transverse channel which is elongated in the lengthwise direction through said front discharging end, which extends in the transverse direction to intercommunicate said channel ends, and which cooperates with said first and second parallel channels to form a U-shaped nail loading slot adapted to receive the strip of U-shaped nails therein and extending through said front discharging end such that the first U-shaped nail is extendable beyond said front discharging end and into the stroke path, and a second transverse channel which is elongated in the lengthwise direction through said front discharging end, and which extends from said second parallel channel towards said first parallel channel in the transverse direction so as to cooperate with said second parallel channel to form an L-shaped nail loading slot adapted to receive the strip of L-shaped nails therein and extending through said front discharging end such that the first L-shaped nail is extendable beyond said front discharging end and into the stroke path; a guide member which confronts said front discharging end of said elongated magazine unit and which cooperates with said front discharging end to define the stroke path of the driving member, said guide member having two guiding walls which extend in the longitudinal direction, and which define therebetween a guiding slot that is adapted to guide the reciprocating driving member to move along the stroke path, said guiding slot being dimensioned such that the first U-shaped nail is guided between said guiding walls so as to move along the stroke path, said guiding slot extending in the lengthwise direction to terminate at a sliding surface, said sliding surface defining a retreat bore which extends in the longitudinal direction; and a guide bar having a secured end which is mounted in said retreat bore, and a guiding portion which extends from said secured end in the longitudinal direction and which is disposed to cooperate with one of said guiding walls to guide movement of the first L-shaped nail, said guide bar being configured such that said guiding portion is urged toward a guiding position, where said guiding portion is raised above said sliding surface, and such that said guiding portion is depressed to a retreating position, where said guiding portion is retreated into said retreat bore by a sweeping force imparted by a striking movement of the driving member along the stroke path.
 2. The nail magazine of claim 1, wherein said elongated magazine unit includes a magazine body which is adapted to be secured to the power nail-driving tool and which has said front discharging end and said rear end, and a sliding shell which is slidable relative to said magazine body in the lengthwise direction, said magazine body having first and second parallel walls which are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction to define said first parallel channel therebetween, said sliding shell having a lateral wall which is spaced apart from said first parallel wall to define said second parallel channel therebetween, and a top wall which is spaced apart from said first parallel wall to define said first transverse channel.
 3. The nail magazine of claim 2, wherein said elongated magazine unit includes a magnet which is disposed on said first parallel wall and which confronts said lateral wall to help hold the L-shaped nails in said second parallel channel.
 4. The nail magazine of claim 2, further comprising a locking mechanism which includes a retained member that is secured to said magazine body adjacent to said rear end, and an engaging member that is disposed on said sliding shell, and that is releasably engaged with said retained member when said sliding shell approaches said front discharging end so as to retain said sliding shell relative to said magazine body.
 5. The nail magazine of claim 4, wherein said engaging member has a fulcrum pivoted to said sliding shell, and pressed and engaging ends opposite to each other, said locking mechanism further including a biasing member which is disposed to bias said pressed end to an engaging position, where said engaging end engages said retained member, and a push button which is operable manually to press said pressed end against a biasing action of said biasing member to enable said engaging end to disengage from said retained member.
 6. The nail magazine of claim 2, further comprising a nail pushing mechanism which includes a biasing unit that is received in said sliding shell, and a pusher plate that is disposed on and movable relative to said sliding shell and that is biased by said biasing member such that said pusher plate extends forwardly of said sliding shell into said second parallel channel so as to urge the first nail into the stroke path when said sliding shell approaches said front discharging end.
 7. The nail magazine of claim 1, wherein said guiding bar has a ramp segment which has an initial region that is disposed proximate to said secured end and below said sliding surface so as not to interfere with displacement of the first U-shaped nail in the stroke path. 